Container lid removal facilitator

ABSTRACT

A thin, deformable polymer sheet is configured to be placed between an opening in a container and the container lid, particularly when the lid is to be refastened to the container. The sheet creates a barrier between the container and the lid, and more particularly, between the lid and any residual contents of the container, such as paint, that may be on the lid engagement surfaces. The residual content, when it dries, will therefore not adhere the lid to the container and inhibit subsequent removal of the lid.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to container removal devices and, moreparticularly, to a device that facilitates the removal of a lid from acontainer that includes matter that may inhibit repeated lid removal.The device also increases the sealing properties of the container lid.

BACKGROUND

Liquid coating materials such as paint, varnish, adhesives and the likeare commonly distributed in resealable cans or other types ofcontainers. Providing resealable containers enables end users to useonly a portion of the container contents, and then reseal the containerto prevent evaporation or drying of the remaining contents. In practice,the ability to reuse the container contents depends, at least in part,on the ability of the end user to effectively reopen the container.

Practically speaking, many end users dip a brush directly into the can,or else pour the can contents into another container, such as a sprayeror rolling pan. When a brush is used, many times it is first wipedagainst the sealing surfaces of the can lid to remove excess contentfrom the brush. Similarly, when the content is poured from thecontainer, a portion of content inevitably contacts the container sealsurfaces. In both instances, upon completion of use, the content on thecontainer seal surfaces may spread throughout the sealing surface whenthe container lid is replaced. When the content subsequently dries onthe sealing surface, the lid may stick to the dried content, making itdifficult or impossible to re-open the can for subsequent use.

Hence, there is a need for a device that will allow the lid of acontainer to be more readily removed following initial use of thecontainer contents, and/or to effectively reseal the can aftersubsequent use. The present invention addresses at least this need.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention provides a device that facilitates removal of acontainer lid following initial and subsequent use of the containercontents.

In one embodiment, and by way of example only, a device is provided thatfacilitates removal of a container lid from a container that includesone or more lid engagement surfaces that surround a container openingwithin the container, wherein the container lid is configured to bedisposed on the container and seal the container opening by engaging theone or more container lid engagement surfaces. The device includes adeformable polymer sheet sheet that is dimensioned to extend entirelyover the opening in the container. The sheet is configured to bedisposed between the container lid and the one or more lid engagementsurfaces, and has an outer peripheral edge that is exposed when thecontainer lid is disposed to seal the container opening.

In another exemplary embodiment, a container assembly includes acontainer, a removable container lid, and a deformable polymer sheet.The container has an inner peripheral surface that defines an internalvolume for containing matter therein. The container includes an openingand one or more lid engagement surfaces. The container opening extendsthrough the container and fluidly communicates the internal volume withan external environment. The removable container lid is coupled to oneor more of the lid engagement surfaces and is configured to seal thecontainer opening to thereby prevent removal of the matter containedtherein. The deformable polymer sheet extends entirely over thecontainer opening and is disposed between the container lid and each lidengagement surface to which the container lid is coupled. The deformablepolymer sheet has an exposed outer peripheral edge.

These and other features and advantages of the preferred container lidremoval facilitator will become apparent from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings whichillustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a container assembly that includes anembodiment of a lid removal facilitator according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the container assembly of FIG. 1 in a fully-assembledstate;

FIG. 3 shows a close-up cross section view of a portion of the containerassembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a close-up cross section view of an alternate containerthat includes an embodiment of the lid removal facilitator shown inFIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the lid removal facilitator according toan alternate embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of an assembly of a plurality of the lidremoval facilitator shown in FIG. 5 in a packaging environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference first to FIGS. 1 and 2, exploded and assembled views,respectively, of a container assembly 100 are shown. The containerassembly 100 includes a container 102, a lid 104, and a lid removalfacilitator 106. In the depicted embodiment, the container 102 is asubstantially cylindrical container that is configured similar to aconventional paint can. To this end, the container 102 has an innerperipheral surface 108 that defines an internal volume 112 forcontaining material, such as paint or other liquid material, therein.The container 102 additionally includes an opening 114 and lidengagement surfaces 116. The container opening 114 extends throughcontainer 102 and into the internal volume 112, which allows variousdevices, such as brushes or stirrers, to be dipped into the containedmaterial, or for the contained material to be poured from the container102. The lid engagement surfaces 116, as will be described more fullybelow, are coupled to the lid 104, via the lid removal facilitator 106,to sealingly enclose the contained material within the container 102 forsubsequent use.

The removable container lid 104, as was just noted, is configured toseal the container opening 114 to prevent removal of the containedmaterial, and to allow for its subsequent use. The lid 104 includes oneor more container engagement surfaces 118 that, when the containerassembly 100 is assembled, are coupled to the lid engagement surfaces116 via the lid removal facilitator 106.

The lid removal facilitator 106 is dimensioned to extend entirely overthe container opening 114, and when the container lid 104 is used toseal the container 102, to provide one or more exposed outer peripheraledges 122. The lid removal facilitator 106 is preferably formed of adeformable material that will not readily adhere to the containercontent, is substantially non-porous, and will function as a barrierbetween the container lid 104 and any residual container content thatmay remain on the lid engagement surfaces 116. In a particular preferredembodiment, the lid removal facilitator 106 comprises a polymer materialthat is formed into a deformable polymer sheet. It will be appreciatedthat any one of numerous polymer materials may be used for the lidremoval facilitator 106, so long as it is sufficiently deformable, andchemically impervious to the contents of the container 102. For example,in a particular preferred embodiment, the polymer is polyethylene.

As was previously noted, and as is shown in FIG. 2, the lid removalfacilitator 106 is disposed between the container lid 104 and thecontainer 102 when the lid 104 seals the container opening 114. In thisposition, the lid facilitator 106 engages the lid engagement surfaces116 on the container 102 and the container engagement surfaces 118 onthe lid 104. Because the lid removal facilitator 106 is deformable andsubstantially non-porous, even though it forms a barrier between thecontainer 102 and the lid 104, it also allows sufficient couplingbetween the lid engagement surfaces 116 and the container engagementsurfaces 118 to seal the container content.

The above-described arrangement is shown most clearly in FIG. 3, inwhich the lid engagement surface 116 is configured as a groove 302 thatextends around the circumference of the container opening 114, and thecontainer engagement surface 118 is configured as a notch 304 thatprotrudes from a lower surface of the container lid 104. The groove 302and notch 304 are configured such that the notch 304 will snugly fitwithin the groove 302 to form a tight seal. As is also shown, the lidremoval facilitator 106 is disposed between the container 102 and lid104, and is pressed into the groove 302 by the notch 304. The lidremoval facilitator outer peripheral edge 122 extends beyond thecontainer-lid interface, and is thus exposed. When the lid removalfacilitator 106 is in place, standard devices such as a key orscrewdriver may be used to easily pry the lid 104 off.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the container 102 and lid 104 wereconfigured with groove-and-notch type engagement surfaces 116, 118. Itwill be appreciated that the lid removal facilitator 106 can also beused with containers configured with other types of engagement surfaces.For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the container 102 and lid 104 could beconfigured to include threaded lid engagement surfaces 402 and threadedcontainer engagement surfaces 404, respectively.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the lid removal facilitator 106was illustrated as having a non-circular shape. However, this is merelyexemplary, and any one of numerous other shapes could be used. Forexample, as is shown in FIG. 5, the lid facilitator could have acircular shape. No matter the specific shape, the lid removalfacilitator 106 is preferably provided in a packaged environment alongwith a plurality of other lid removal facilitators 106. An example ofthe this is shown in FIG. 6, in which an exemplary package assembly 600is shown. The package assembly 600 includes a first cover 602, a secondcover 604, and a plurality of lid removal facilitators 106. The firstand second covers 602, 604 may be made of any one of numerous materials,but in the depicted embodiment are foldable cardboard-type devices. Theplurality of lid removal facilitators 106 are disposed and fastenedbetween the covers 602, 604 by, for example, a staple or other fastenerthat allows ready and easy removal of one or more facilitator 106.

The lid removal facilitator 106, when placed between a container 102 andlid 104 upon resealing the container 102, creates a barrier between anyresidual container material on the container 102 and the containerengagement surfaces 118 on the lid, making subsequent removal of the lid104 much easier.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt to a particularsituation or material to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intendedthat the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosedas the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but thatthe invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope ofthe appended claims.

1. A device that facilitates removal of a container lid from a containerthat includes one or more lid engagement surfaces that surround, anddefine an outer boundary of, a container opening within the container,the container lid configured to be disposed on the container and sealthe container opening by engaging the one or more container lidengagement surfaces, the device comprising: a deformable polymer sheetthat is dimensioned to extend entirely over the container opening, thesheet configured to be disposed between the container lid and the one ormore lid engagement surfaces and having an inner surface, an outersurface, and an outer peripheral edge between the inner and outersurfaces, the sheet dimensioned such that, when installed, (i) anentirety of the outer surface of the sheet within the outer boundary ofthe container opening is always disposed proximate the container lid and(ii) the outer peripheral surface is exposed when the container lid isdisposed to seal the container opening.
 2. The device of claim 1,wherein: the one or more lid engagement surfaces have a predeterminedsurface contour; and the deformable polymer sheet has a thickness thatallows the sheet to deform to the surface contour of the one or more lidengagement surfaces.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the deformablepolymer sheet is configured to have a non-circular in shape.
 4. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the deformable polymer sheet is configured tohave a circular shape.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the deformablepolymer sheet comprises a material having sufficient strength to resisttearing upon subsequent removal of the container lid from the container.6. The device of claim 5, wherein the deformable polymer sheet comprisesa material suitable for printing indicia thereon.
 7. The device of claim5, wherein the polymer sheet comprises polyethylene.
 8. A containerassembly, comprising: a container having an inner peripheral surfacethat defines an internal volume for containing matter therein, thecontainer including an opening having an outer boundary and one or morelid engagement surfaces, the container opening extending through thecontainer and fluidly communicating the internal volume with an externalenvironment; a removable container lid coupled to one or more of the lidengagement surfaces and configured to seal the container opening tothereby prevent removal of the matter contained therein; and adeformable polymer sheet that extends entirely over the containeropening and disposed between the container lid and each lid engagementsurface to which the container lid is coupled, the deformable polymersheet having an inner surface, an outer surface, and an exposed outerperipheral edge between the inner and outer surfaces, the sheetdimensioned such that an entirety of the outer surface of the sheetwithin the outer boundary of the opening is always disposed proximatethe container lid.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the one or morelid engagement surfaces have a predetermined surface contour; and thedeformable polymer sheet has a thickness that allows the sheet to deformto the surface contour of the one or more lid engagement surfaces. 10.The assembly of claim 8, wherein the deformable polymer sheet isconfigured to have a non-circular shape.
 11. The assembly of claim 8,wherein the deformable polymer sheet is configured to have a circularshape.
 12. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the container is a paintcan, and the material contained therein is paint.
 13. The assembly ofclaim 8, wherein the one or more lid engagement surfaces comprisethreads.
 14. The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the container includes arim that surrounds the container opening; and the one or more lidengagement surfaces are defined by a groove formed in the rim. 15.(canceled)